The Power of Recalibration: How to Reset Your Leadership

Lindsey Hilliard
May 11
4 min read

health welath and fulfilment — The power of recalibration

Feeling disconnected, overextended, or stuck in a version of success that no longer fits?

In this episode of The Natural Leader Podcast, we’re unpacking recalibration — what it really means, how to know when you need it, and how to lead yourself through it with clarity, courage and nervous system safety.

Whether you’re quietly burning out, questioning your career path, or just craving something more sustainable and real, this conversation will speak straight to your soul.

For the full episode, listen on the player above

If you’ve been feeling off lately — not burnt out exactly, but like you’re running on fumes and pretending you’re fine — this is for you.

Because I see you.

You’re still showing up. Still performing. Still doing all the "right" things…

But underneath?

You’re over-delivering and under-feeling. You’re saying, “I’m fine,” but your body is saying, “No, you’re not.”

Whatever you’ve been doing isn’t working anymore.

And you know that. But you don’t know what to do instead.

The world keeps shouting: "Just push through. Find a new strategy. Fix yourself."

But what if the answer isn’t more effort?

What if your exhaustion isn’t a problem to fix — but a message to hear?

What if what you need isn’t a new plan… but a recalibration?

What is Recalibration, Really?

Recalibration isn’t quitting. It’s not failure. It’s not “falling behind.”

Recalibration is course-correcting toward who you really are.

It’s a nervous system reset. It’s a soul re-alignment. It’s a return to your natural settings.

When your nervous system doesn’t feel safe, you’ll keep choosing hustle over truth, approval over alignment, and control over connection. Dr. Gabor Maté reminds us: "When we shut down our authentic selves to be accepted, we pay for it with our health."

That self-abandonment? It shows up as dis-ease.

Dr. Libby Weaver calls this “rushing woman’s syndrome.” That constant state of overdrive, giving from depletion, living in sympathetic overdrive. She says: "When you’re always doing, there’s no space to hear your intuition."

Recalibration is how we come home. It’s the moment we whisper back to our nervous system: You’re safe now.

Signs You Might Need a Recalibration

You don’t need to break down to justify a reset. Recalibration starts with noticing the subtle signs:

You’re ticking all the boxes, but feel completely disconnected.
You feel busy but blurry.
You’re easily agitated, depleted, or resentful.
You keep looking outside yourself for clarity.
Your body is whispering, "slow down," but you’re scared to listen.

A Story You Might Relate To:

Let’s talk about someone we’ll call Emma. She’s been in HR for 15+ years. She’s capable, grounded, and compassionate. She’s the fixer. The one who smooths it over. The one who everyone depends on.

But lately? Emma is exhausted.

She’s disconnected from her work. Unsure if HR is even right for her anymore. She’s been doing it so long that the thought of starting again feels terrifying. She’s not in crisis, she’s just fading.

What Emma needs isn’t a productivity hack. She needs a recalibration.

How to Recalibrate: The Natural Leader Model

I guide women through this with my Natural Leader Model: Growth, Transformation, and Essence.

1. GROWTH: Awareness of What’s Not Working

This is the blindfold-lift moment. It’s admitting what you’ve been tolerating. It’s where Emma notices how often she says yes when her gut screams no. It’s when you realise the version of leadership you’ve mastered doesn’t actually feel like you.

Tools that help: journaling, voice notes, Human Design, self-inquiry.

2. TRANSFORMATION: Releasing the Old

Now comes the letting go. Not a dramatic exit — but a conscious shedding.

Emma starts setting micro-boundaries. She gives her team more autonomy. She lets her nervous system catch up with her truth. Maybe for the first time, she admits that she’s tired, and lets herself feel that without guilt.

Somatic practices, nervous system work, coaching, therapy — this is where they matter most.

3. ESSENCE: Returning to Your Natural Leadership

This is where your recalibration lands. It’s when Emma remembers what she actually loves: coaching people, not managing politics. She redirects her energy. Her voice strengthens. Her rhythm softens.

She’s no longer performing leadership. She’s embodying it.

Essence is where you stop striving and start leading from alignment. Not because you followed a formula — but because you finally returned to yourself.